The leader of a Scottish farming union has said Brexit success will be measured by how much farmers will earn.
NFU Scotland’s President Andrew McCornick said Scottish farming wants a "profitable and sustainable" future through Brexit.
Mr McCornick said one way of measuring how successful Brexit will be is if there is an increase in farm income. He said they must be improved "now and beyond" the Brexit process.
The president used Scotland’s biggest one-day agricultural event to call for politicians across the UK to focus on the long-term future of the industry.
Speaking at AgriScot, staged at Ingliston near Edinburgh, Mr McCornick said Brexit was a wake-up call and an opportunity to do better, but the measure of its success would be measured in farm incomes.
He called on politicians in all parliaments to put aside short-term fixes and focus on a long-term view of policy and support to allow farmers and crofters to plan.
The speech follows news of levy bodies urging Scottish farmers to review their businesses and prepare for Brexit, after a report released quantifies the potential impact of Brexit on UK farming businesses under different scenarios.
'Long-term view'
Sharing a platform at AgriScot with Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing, Mr McCornick said: “All parts of Scottish farming, food and drink want a profitable, sustainable future through and beyond Brexit.
“Scotland’s farmers and crofters work in scales of production that are measured in years, so we need to move away from short-term fixes. A long-term view of policy and support is essential to allow all parts of our industry to make decisions.
“To deliver on the right policies for Scotland, all politicians in all parliaments need to show genuine commitment to work together to secure the future for our industry, our environment and our rural economy. The measure of success will be judged in farmers’ and crofters’ incomes.
Mr McCornick added: “These need to be improved now and beyond the Brexit process to allow us to invest in our businesses and deliver food, landscapes, jobs, environmental benefits and a thriving rural economy.
“Brexit is the wake-up call and the opportunity to change and do better."
